Punjab Food Authority has ordered all restaurants and hotels to mention nutrition information on food items.
The provincial regulator has implemented Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL) which will encompass all pre-packaged food items with calorie/energy, sodium, fats, sugar, and allergen contents on the standard menus of all hotels, five and four-star hotels, and recreation clubs.
The PFA is aiming to curtail the hydrogenated fats across Punjab that are a major cause of carcinogenicity and cardiovascular diseases.
It has set a deadline before December 2023 to implement revised limits of trans fatty acids 2 grams per 100 grams in every food item and FOPL on packaged food. Pertinently, it is applicable on margarine, industrial margarine, margarine spread, shortening, vanaspati, bakery fat, biscuit, bread rusk, and 5gm/100gm to oils/fats during frying.
PFA Director General Raja Jahangir Anwar stated that a special implementation committee has been established to implement the FOPL warning and limit trans fatty acids in pre-packaged food items. The committee would submit reports on a daily basis.
Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms is also launching an awareness campaign for keeping consumers informed about calorie intake, and food nutrition value and promoting healthy eating across the country from August 14.
“A country-wide awareness campaign would be launched on Aug 14 to encourage the citizens to consume proportionate amounts of oil, sodium, and fats and promote portion control and moderation in food consumption,” commented PM’s Strategic Reforms Head Salman Sufi.
The Government has taken Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), food manufacturing associations, Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturing Association (PVMA), and food manufacturing companies for the campaign.
Sufi added that people should consume fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy products instead of street food. They should keep track of their calorie intake in every food item they consume and their daily calorie intake should be kept between 2,000 to 2,500.
It bears mentioning that cardiovascular diseases and trans fatty acids account for 40 percent or 500,000 deaths per year in Pakistan according to World Health Organization. Punjab Food Authority has given the industry one year to bring the percentage of trans-fatty acid to 0.5 and it was 10 percent in Punjab Pure Food Regulations 2017.
Palm Oil Hydrogenation cause the building of trans fats which cause cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infertility, memory loss, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity Pakistan is the only in Asia with the highest consumption of trans fats.
Source: Pro Pakistani